Conjoined Twins Separated As Babies Share Life Update 10 Years Later

In 2006, Isabelle and Abby Carlsen entered the world conjoined at the chest, facing extraordinary challenges from the very beginning.

A pair of conjoined twins who were separated as infants have shared an inspiring update on their lives and how far they’ve come since their life-changing surgery.

Isabelle and Abby Carlsen, originally from North Dakota, spent the first six months of their lives at a hospital in Minnesota.

During that time, they were joined at the chest and abdomen, presenting a complex challenge for the medical team tasked with their care.

Their mother, Amy, first discovered that Isabelle and Abby were conjoined during a routine ultrasound.

The news was overwhelming, as the odds of the twins surviving to full term were estimated to be just one in 100,000.

However, against all odds, the girls were born on November 29, 2006, proving to be little fighters right from the start.

At birth, Isabelle’s heart was attached to Abby’s chest, and their organs were intertwined, creating a daunting medical situation.

In the weeks and months that followed, a dedicated team of experts came together, strategizing the safest way to separate the twins.

Their commitment to finding a solution was unwavering.

Alamy

Amazingly, after months of preparation, a team of 17 surgeons performed a successful separation surgery when the girls were just six months old.

The procedure was a landmark achievement and a testament to the medical team’s dedication and expertise.

By 2016, a decade after their surgery, Isabelle and Abby shared that they have no memories of ever being conjoined.

However, they did point out small physical reminders of their early connection.

“Every night we look in the mirror in our room, and we’re like, how do people get us mixed up?” Abby explained during an interview with CBS News.

The pair were conjoined at birthJOEY MCLEISTER/Star Tribune via Getty Images

“In the mall, we like grab each other’s hands. It’s weird.”

Their father, Jesse, reflected on their individuality, saying:

“They don’t want to be confused for one another. They’re their own person.”

The girls gave an update on how they were getting on back in 2016WCCO/CBS

Their mother, Amy, expressed her gratitude to everyone involved in their care, adding:

“Words can’t express how thankful I am for what they did for our girls.”

Now, nearly two decades after the surgery, Isabelle and Abby recently celebrated their 18th birthday in November.

Instagram

Their journey continues to inspire everyone who hears their story.

While cases of conjoined twins are rare, it isn’t always possible for them to be separated.

Medical challenges and the complexity of their connection often make separation a difficult or unfeasible option.

One well-known pair of conjoined twins, Lori Schappell and her twin George, chose to remain joined.

The siblings, who were born in 1961 in Reading, Pennsylvania, had their skulls and the left side of their foreheads fused together.

Defying expectations, Lori and George lived remarkable lives, proving that individuality and connection can coexist in extraordinary ways.

At the time of their birth, medical science wasn’t advanced enough to separate Lori and George, who were craniopagus twins.

Even when advancements made separation theoretically possible, the twins decided to stay together, as their brains weren’t fused and they valued their connection.

Lori once told the Los Angeles Times: “I don’t believe in separation. I think you’re messing with God’s work.”

Her twin added their perspective, saying: “Would we be separated? Absolutely not. My theory is: why fix what is not broken?”